Afterlife
by kunoichi's diary
Summary: They met again in the most unlikely way. Here she was, a beautiful woman in her afterlife, unable to recognize the twelve-year-old boy in front of her.
1. Return

A/N: So I watched Spirited Away (for the nth time) and the feels just came rushing into me. I couldn't resist writing a Haku/Chihiro fic while listening to one of the movie's OST (The Name of Life).

Disclaimer: Spirited Away is owned by the great Miyazaki-san.

* * *

Summary: They met again in the most unlikely way. Here she was, a beautiful woman in her afterlife, unable to recognize the twelve-year-old boy in front of her.

* * *

**Afterlife**

_by kdairy_

The rhythmic sound of the train filled her ears as she saw her ride a few meters away from her isolated station. She couldn't remember how long she was waiting on that same spot, in the middle of nowhere and surrounded by a sea of water from yesterday's pour.

_What do you expect, after all that rain?_

Her long hair was blown away as the train screeched to a halt, sloshing the water covering its tracks. The doors opened for her and the ticket man pointed to her left hand. She held a ticket to this train but she couldn't remember where she got it. Silently, she handed over the small yellow ticket and the man shredded it to pieces.

_The train stop you want is called Swamp Bottom. It's the sixth stop._

She looked around and spotted a vacant seat. She sat down with gray people with their faces covered with either their hair or their hats. Her hair fell down her shoulders as she stared at her clasped hands. She was getting tired of looking at her transparent fingers. They had been like this when she first opened her eyes only to realize that she was standing on a train station, waiting for something she couldn't put a finger on.

_It's just a dream._

It's just a dream, she thought, convincing herself that she would wake up any time soon to face reality once again. However deep inside her, she realized that her chant was futile as she felt every hope that this was a dream draining from her. Because this world had become her reality now. She wasn't afraid. She couldn't cry. Her mind was blank and so was her heart. She felt so detached, so devoid of all emotions. She was lost but she didn't mind. Because she couldn't even remember who she was or what she was waiting for.

_Where am I?_

So as the train traveled farther into the strange world, she slowly became gray as the people around her, transparent and lonely.

* * *

He soared through the cold night, dancing elegantly with the clouds surrounding the bright moon. His sea green mane rustled from the wind as his porcelain body moved like a celestial river in the sky. He closed his eyes as the sensation became so overwhelming that he could almost feel her petite hands clutching on his horn and her legs trying to hold onto his torso. He could hear her voice calling out his name with so much enthusiasm as they traveled the vast sky.

_Haku!_

But just as the wind stopped blowing, her voice got carried away in the darkness of the night. He could no longer feel her presence and pain sunk into him, as yet again, he felt lonely and helpless, unable to leave this world to search her in hers.

_Will we meet again sometime?_

Her question tormented his mind every single day after she left. He told her a promise he couldn't keep, a promise she would believe until her last mortal breath, a promise he would regret throughout his immortal life.

_Sure we will._

He landed softly on the land of the witch of Swamp Bottom. He walked on two feet towards the little cottage deep in the woods where the kind witch lived with their masked friend. Up ahead, he could see a figure going in the same direction. A woman with long brown hair cascading like a waterfall on her back.

_Promise?_

He ran up to her and called out. He didn't know why, he just had to. She didn't seem to hear him so he tried to get a hold of her arm. But his fingers went right through and he only caught nothing. She had sensed him, he knew because she turned around to look at his astonished face. There he saw the same pair of eyes he had longed to see again.

_Promise._

She stood in front of him, her face vacant of any emotion. Her whole body was transparent and she was a lot taller than him. Her body had grown, just as her hair. He gazed at her, unable to bring out any form of speech. She was beautiful. No man would ever gaze another upon looking at this beauty.

_You shouldn't be here._

He was happy to see her yet she shouldn't be here. She should be in the other side, living a normal life, away from the dangers in his world. She clasped her hands together and that's when he saw a small glimmer from her finger. The little light had overcast an enveloping shadow on him. How long had it been since they said farewell to each other before she crossed the river? She had grown old and beautiful enough to marry a man of her own kind and maybe had children as pretty and as enthusiastic as her. She had lived life in her own world until her time was up. She had returned in his world as a spirit herself without her memories from her mortal life. They met again in the most unlikely way. Here she was, a beautiful woman in her afterlife, unable to recognize the twelve-year-old boy in front of her.

* * *

He stepped closer. She stepped back. He softly said her name and her eyes glistened in the dark, water welling up on each side. He held out his hand, waiting for hers.

_Chihiro…_

Her mind still couldn't remember but emotions came flooding inside her as he said her name with a voice so familiar. Chihiro, was it? People said it was a pretty name. Tears were now falling down her cheeks upon looking at his gentle smile. His smile gave her comfort, a comfort somewhat given to a little girl lost in an unknown place.

_How did you know my name's Chihiro?_

She reluctantly placed her hand on his and skin felt skin. She had this swelling feeling inside, a sense of fulfillment and contentment. Her longing had passed and for the first time, she felt truly happy.

_I've known you since you were very small._

She still didn't know who this young boy was. But there was something about those piercing teal eyes that she missed being a carefree child with so much belief. He was still smiling and her tears were still falling. And they were both caught up in the moment.

_Once you've met someone, you never really forget them._

* * *

A/N: I don't know if I'm going to continue this or just end it here in all its bittersweet glory.


	2. Interlude

A/N: I'm officially done with my first year in college and, damn, was summer class a pain in the ass. So in celebration of passing my exams, I thought I would continue this fic since the feels won't let me be.

Thanks for the reviews, favorites and alerts! You guys really helped me in deciding to continue this or not. :)

Disclaimer: Spirited Away is owned by the great Miyazaki-san.

* * *

Lin wiped the dripping sweat from her forehead. It was another day of her endless contract of work in the bath house. After giving a sigh, she continued on scrubbing one of the grand baths around with the right force she had been using for as long as she could remember. She would always use that kind of force for her young muscles would never tire and her bones would never wither. Because she would never age and grow any older just like those who inhabit the world she lived in. Just like the young dragon boy.

She remembered him lightly sneaking up to her in their quarters last night, just like any other night after the little girl had crossed the bridge of their world, saying goodbye to all of them with her cheeky grin. She would sit by him in silence, letting themselves be bathed by the glow of the moon. He would say nothing, he would not show any visible emotion. He would just sit there, gaze at the dark horizon with eyes filled with longing to go to the other side. And with that, she would gaze too. Because they both missed her.

But last night was different. Neither did they sit down to watch the moon nor did they silently wait for dawn to break. They stood there, facing each other with the boy letting out the first fresh drops of tears and with her holding onto his small shoulders, trying to comfort him in the starless night. The once stoic dragon boy had his façade down and became vulnerable.

Last night, he told her that she came back. This brought a small hope within Lin: she would finally see an old friend again. However the boy told her the tragedy of her return, for spirits in their afterlife are fated to move on without something so fickle such as memories. And no magic can ever change that.

They stood there filled with so much remorse. As the boy cried a river, she bit her lip to hold back her own tears. She looked down at the boy, for he will never grow any taller although he had a spirit of a man wise enough not to meddle with the rules that governed their world. Lin cursed Fate, for it had been cruel. Fate strangled its strings around his pained heart, always reminding him that the little girl will be forever far from his reach.

* * *

As she washed off the last dirt from the massive bath, Lin let out a sigh of relief, mentally patting herself for a job well done. She had been told that she would assist another spirit brought back by Death from the other side. The witch ruling the bath house had once told the staff about this kind of spirits.

_Occasionally these spirits would stumble upon their grand bath house and seek serenity. _

Lost spirits, as the witch had put it, but they were told to bring something valuable as payment, which made her welcome them aside from the usual eccentric but rich spirits they had for customers. During her long stay in the bath house, Lin had assisted quite a handful of these spirits and served them just as they are the bath house's patrons.

She went towards the gates to meet her client and forced herself a smile despite the lingering sadness she still had from last night. After asking one of her co-workers which one was her client, she was stunned to see a familiar face, waiting on one corner with a confused look. She couldn't believe her eyes for it was the little girl, who was long ago put under her care, who now became a woman any god would take for a wife. Her little Sen came back, she thought as she slowly stepped towards the woman. She wanted to embrace her tightly and tell her how much she missed her. However, all thoughts were dismissed as she remembered the dragon boy's words and how everything else was futile.

_These spirits didn't speak much for usually confusion and loneliness overwhelmed them._

Lin looked up at the woman's eyes, for the little girl had grown and matured unlike her. She saw the hollowness of those orbs, all vitality taken away by Death. She fought back her tears, just as she did last night. The woman smiled at her politely with no hint of recognition. And she bowed in return and led her to her ready-made bath with her head lowered, not wanting anyone to detect any sorrow from her.

_But once they sink in the warm bath and let themselves be covered with the steam, they would open their mouth to say strings of phrases and words they don't even understand themselves. _

The water splashed on the woman's bare shoulder as Lin quietly stood behind her with the empty wooden bucket on her rough callous hands. She looked at her client, who was fixing her long brown hair with her soft fingers. Her Sen had indeed grown into a fine woman, someone Lin would never be. And someone the dragon boy would never have, she thought as she saw a gold metal band around her finger.

"A young boy came up to me last night and called me Chihiro."

The woman finally spoke, with her pleasant honey-coated voice. Chihiro. That was Sen's real name. Lin knew because the boy told her one night. But Lin kept silent, for she knew that she must let her client not be disturbed. So the woman continued. And she listened.

"His voice seemed familiar. And his touch was like that of a lifetime ago. His eyes told me we knew each other. But I don't know him."

Lin's heart clenched. But still, she listened.

_They don't understand for their memories are lost, just as the steam escaping from the bath they plunged into._

"I don't know anything anymore. I can't even remember who I am. All I remember is that I'm waiting for something. Something important. But I don't know what it is."

But Lin knew. She knew and it pained her heart to see her two friends broken, her little Sen −who was once strong-willed and determined− now a confused spirit lost in the hollow depths of her being, and the young dragon boy who was now full of self-doubt and helplessness as he failed to reach out to his love. She could feel the burning sorrow inside of her. Hot tears were beginning to fall down.

"He's such a nice boy."

She looked up to see the woman fully dressed with a small smile on her face. Her rough hands were covered by smooth ones as she felt a cold metal on her palm. She was given the gold ring as her payment.

_After giving their payment, they would leave the bath house in a subtle way and they would continue to wander this world in search for something they don't know._

Lin watched her crossed the bridge. But Sen left without a cheeky grin. Instead it was a sad smile that made Lin quietly sob as she realized she had lost her little girl.

* * *

A/N: I just really loved the thought of having someone notice the inevitable sorrow caused by the distance of Haku and Chiriho. So I thought Lin was perfect for that role.


End file.
